The class of polymers of carbon monoxide and olefin(s) has been known for some time. Brubaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,286, produced such polymers of relatively low carbon monoxide content in the presence of free radical initiators, e.g., peroxy compounds. G.B. 1,081,304 produced such materials of higher carbon monoxide content in the presence of alkylphosphine complexes of palladium compounds as catalyst. Nozaki extended the process to produce linear alternating polymers in the presence of arylphosphine complexes of palladium moieties and certain inert solvents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412.
More recently, the class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon has become of greater interest in part because of the greater availability of the polymers. The more recent processes for the production of these polymers, now becoming known as polyketones or polyketone polymers, are illustrated by a number of published European Patent Applications including 121,965, 181,014, 213,671 and 257,633. The process typically involves the use of a catalyst composition formed from a compound of a Group VIII metal selected from palladium, cobalt or nickel, the anion of a non-hydrohalogenic acid having a pKa below about 6, preferably below 2, and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.
The resulting polyketone polymers are relatively high molecular weight crystalline thermoplastics having established utility in the production of shaped articles such as containers for food and drink which are produced by processing the polyketone polymer by known methods. For some particular applications, production of thin wall containers, for example, it has been found to be desirable to have properties which are somewhat different from those of the polyketone polymers. It is on such occasions desirable to retain many of the properties of the polyketone polymer and yet improved other properties. This is often accomplished by the provision of a polymer blend.
The class of liquid crystal polymers is a relatively new type of plastic material which exists at particular temperatures in an intermediate form of state between an isotropic liquid and a solid crystal. An extensive discussion of liquid crystal polymers is provided by Dobb et al, Advances in Polymer Science, 60/61 (1984). Such polymers are characterized by a linear, rigid structure which exists in crystalline form in a liquid phase as well as in the solid state. The polymers are further characterized as lyotropic polymers, which require a solvent for formation of a liquid crystalline phase within a defined temperature range, and thermotropic polymers where no solvent is required to maintain a liquid crystal state within the defined temperature range. The rigidity of the polymers is established in one modification by a helix structure maintained by hydrogen bonding or steric hindrance. In an alternate and preferred structure, the polymer consists of a succession of rigid units having connecting bonds that are collinear or at least parallel. The liquid crystals generally have good mechanical properties of strength and stiffness and exhibit low permeability toward gases and liquids. One such class of thermotropic polymers is marketed under the trademark VECTRA.RTM. by Hoeschst Celanese and is discussed in a trade publication entitled "A New Extrudable Liquid Crystalline Polymer with Higher Barrier Properties", published by the VECTRA.RTM. Business Unit of Celanese Corporation, now Hoechst Celanese.
It is known to modify the properties of thermoplastics through the formation of blends with liquid crystal polymers. Blends of liquid crystal polymer and polystyrene are discussed by Apicella et al., Polymer Engineering and Sci., Mid-May, Vol. 2, pp. 600-604 (1986). Blends of a liquid crystal polymer and polycarbonate are shown by Blizard et al, ANTEC '86, pp. 311-315. Siegmann et al, Polymer, Vol. 26, August (Conference Issue), pp. 1325-1330 (1985), discuss blends of a liquid crystal polymer of 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid with amorphous polyamides.
It would be of advantage to combine the polyketone polymers and the liquid crystal polymers to obtain blends which exhibit beneficial properties from both blend components.